INTERVIEW-Cricket-New T20 league to give Sri Lanka global reach

Reuters

By Tony Jimenez

LONDON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - The inaugural Sri Lanka PremierLeague (SLPL) represents a golden chance to showcase the islandnation to the world, said one of the organisers of this month'sinaugural Twenty20 tournament.

Sandeep Bhammer, chief executive of the little-knownSomerset Entertainment Ventures group that has been given therights to run the event for 15 years, told Reuters the SLPLwould be beamed around the globe.

"Sri Lanka has come out of a 30-year civil war and the ideais to showcase the country to the world," Bhammer said in atelephone interview.

"It is the only country among the 10 test-playing nationsthat doesn't have its own version of Twenty20 and it is going tobe televised in all the cricketing nations.

"We are a complimentary product to the likes of the Big Bashin Australia and the IPL (Indian Premier League), not acompeting product," Bhammer added.

Seven provincial teams from Sri Lanka will take part in theAug. 11-31 tournament.

There are no players from India or England but severalhigh-profile cricketers, most notably West Indies batsman ChrisGayle, Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi, Australian pacemanRyan Harris and South African seamer Albie Morkel, will beinvolved.

Hard-hitting opener Gayle will be the highest-paid player on$100,000 while Afridi is to earn $50,000.

"We've got some of the best television platforms around theworld," Bhammer said.

YOUTUBE DEAL

"We've also partnered with YouTube on the SLPL website andon a YouTube channel so that people have got access to watch thetournament even if they haven't got access to televisionplatforms that show cricket.

"We are very excited," Bhammer added. "We are going to seethe culmination and fruition of two years of hard work todeliver a world-class tournament in Sri Lanka."

Bhammer said the event would bring substantial financialbenefits to the island nation.

"It is going to generate almost 580 million Sri Lanka rupees($4.40 million) of annual income for the Sri Lankan economy," headded.

"In addition to that, there is going to be almost 130million rupees coming in from hotel accommodation alone. Thereis a lot of employment that will be created.

"There are franchise owners who are coming and commentators,production crews and tourists."

Bhammer said Sri Lanka had been starved of internationalrecognition for too long.

"This is really Sri Lanka's time to bask in glory and webelieve the world really needs to take notice of this beautifulisland nation which has been so good to cricket in terms ofdelivering some of the finest talent," he added.

"It's time for the world to give back to Sri Lanka what SriLanka has given the rest of the world," said Bhammer in areference to players like Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas,Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara.